Ovation launches two new Richie Sambora guitars, with royalties going to youth music charities

Ovation Guitars has announced the launch of two new signature guitars from Bon Jovi songwriter/guitarist Richie Sambora.

Made most famous with the release of Bon Jovi’s 1986 top 10 hit “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Sambora’s double neck Ovation became one of the world’s most instantly recognisable guitar models.

The all-new acoustic/electric Richie Sambora Signature Series Elite Double Neck model features a Sitka Spruce top in Gloss Black, Ebony fingerboard inlaid with mother of pearl stars, Teak/Paduk/Walnut/Mesquite inlaid rosette/epaulettes, gold hardware, a mother of pearl star inlay on the body and finished with Sambora’s signature in gold on the headstock.

The famed musician and 2018 Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee will donate royalties from the sales of the all-new Richie Sambora Signature Series Elite Double Neck guitar to the non-profit organisation Notes for Notes, which builds, equips, and staffs after-school recording studios in Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States.

“My relationship with Ovation Guitars goes back to the very beginning,” said Sambora. “They worked with me to help create my original acoustic double neck when nobody else could even figure out how to make one! It’s all come full circle now that these new models will help benefit the next generation of players.”

In addition, Ovation Guitars, in conjunction with the DW Music Foundation (DWMF) will debut the RS Rockstar guitar. This six-string “RS” model guitar will be donated to each Notes for Notes location along with a DW drumset and an LP cajon to equip each studio with professional level musical instruments.

The DWMF will also work with other partnering charities to donate RS Rockstar model guitars to music education programs in underserved communities worldwide.

The RS Rockstar guitar by Ovation is an acoustic/electric hybrid single neck, 6-string, guitar features all the essentials of the classic Ovation Elite sound and style, with a loud and focused voice, supreme playability.

Premium RS Rockstar features include a laminated spruce top with Elite-style multi-soundholes for clearly articulate tone, and a mid-depth body for greater volume and projection, excellent balance and supreme durability. The guitar also features fast, comfortable action and an easy-playing neck profile, multi-hardwood epaulettes for the classic Elite aesthetic, and an Ovation CE304T pickup/preamp system with 3-band EQ and built-in tuner for superior amplified tone and performance.

The RS Rockstar model also features Ovation’s groundbreaking roundback design. Scientifically developed in 1964 by Ovation founder Charlie Kaman, along with his team of aerospace engineers, Ovation’s patented Lyrachord roundback models were “unquestionably the strongest guitar in the world”. Designed for durability, sonic responsiveness and an “unparalleled ability to stay in tune” – the RS Rockstar is the “ultimate guitar for young players, school music programs, or guitarists of all levels who live an active lifestyle”.

DW Music Foundation Executive Director, Elizabeth Lang, commented: “Richie is continuously lending his support to important causes and organisations that resonate deeply with him and we are honoured to help create these two new guitar models which not only directly support Notes for Notes, but carry on his musical legacy and hopefully inspire the next generation of guitarists.”